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STUDENT INSTRUCTION AND ANSWER SHEET

Activity 3: Creating Your Own Creature

When an environment presents characteristics that make life difficult for a life form we often use the word extreme to label the environment. Obtain a set of planet and moon environment cards from your teacher. These cards list the characteristics of different extreme environments found in our solar system.

A. As a group, design a creature that could live in each of the planet/moon environments described on your cards. Fill out a creature card for each new creature and set it next to the corresponding planet or moon. Using the Genetic Code Chart write out the genetic make-up for each of your new creatures.

B. What characteristics of your creatures are similar to creatures found on Earth?

C. Are there characteristics that your creatures possess which are not found with creatures on Earth?

D. Which of these planets/moons do you think is most likely to already have living organisms on it? Explain your reasoning.

E. On which of the planets/moons do you think Earth-like life forms could survive? Explain why you think this.

F. If you were going to start a colony somewhere in the solar system, which planet/moon would be the most successful colonization site in your opinion? Explain your reasoning.